Sounds like he’s basically saying that’s the kind of money running backs like him and Gurley deserve, and maybe he’s specifically pointing to the amount of guaranteed cash — reports said that he turned down a $70 million contract over five years, but that it was the amount of guarantees that he didn’t like:

In Bell’s case there’s a factor that the Steelers are probably using as their reason to franchise him instead of extend him.

Gurley will turn 24 years old next month. He’s carried the ball 786 times in his three-year career and caught 128 passes (64 last year).

Bell just turned 26. Heading into this season, he’ll have 1,229 carries and 312 receptions to his name in five years. Don’t forget that Bell has had major surgery on one of his knees years ago.

The point here: Bell isn’t Gurley, despite the fact that both enter 2018 as arguably the two best running backs in the NFL. Because Bell has more wear and tear on his body, coupled with his age, the Steelers might be hesitant to give him $45 million guaranteed if Bell’s production starts to tail off at the end of that deal.

I’m not saying Bell isn’t talented or that he’s earned that kind of money with his production. It’s that running backs have a limited shelf life. Check out this Fantasy Pros study that looks at what happens to RBs in recent years after age 26 (even though that year is in a running back’s prime), which concludes that’s around the time when the decline begins.

So while Bell’s numbers make him elite now, it’s the later that concerns the Steelers. And it should.

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